emirate · Mesopotamia and Iran

Lu'lu'id dynasty

1233 CE – 1262 CE · capital Mosul

The rule of Badr al-Din Lu'lu', a former slave who became master of Mosul, and of his son, ended by the Mongol sack of the city in 1262.

Origins

Badr al-Din Lu'lu' was a mamluk, probably of Armenian origin, in the household of Nur al-Din Arslan Shah of the Zengid dynasty of Mosul. As regent for the last young Zengids he held effective power from the 1210s, and in 1233 the caliph recognised him as ruler of Mosul in his own right.

Rule and society

Lu'lu' was a shrewd survivor, balancing between the Ayyubids, the Abbasid Caliphate, the Seljuks of Rum and the Mongols, to whom he submitted after 1243. Mosul under his rule was celebrated for inlaid brass metalwork and manuscript painting, and he built shrines, including ones honouring Shia figures, in the city.

Decline and legacy

After Lu'lu' died in 1259, his son al-Salih Isma'il rebelled against the Ilkhanate. Hulagu's forces besieged Mosul, which fell in 1262, and al-Salih was executed. Mosul then came under direct Ilkhanid rule.

Lineage

Zengid dynasty of Mosul 1127 CE – 1233 CELu'lu'id dynasty

Connections (2)

Lu'lu'id dynasty was a vassal of Ilkhanate1256 CE – 1262 CE
Lu'lu'id dynasty was conquered by Ilkhanate1262 CE

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Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Lu'lu'id dynasty. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/luluid-dynasty
MLA: “Lu'lu'id dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/luluid-dynasty. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Lu'lu'id dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/luluid-dynasty.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Lu'lu'id dynasty’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/luluid-dynasty (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻